\  NIGHT 
OUT 


EDWARD  PEPLE 


A  NIGHT  OUT 


"The  Beast  has  had  the  time  of  his  life." 


A  NIGHT  OUT 

BY 
EDWARD   PEPLE 


Frontispiece  by 
R.    L.    GOLDBERG 


NEW  YORK 
MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 

MCMIX 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY 
THE  FEANK  A.   MUNSEY  COMPANY 


COPTBIOHT,   1909,  BY 

MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 


Published,  November,  1909 
Reprinted,  March,  1911 


A  NIGHT  OUT 


I 

Omar  Ben  Sufi  was  a  cat.  This 
unadorned  statement  would  have 
wounded  Omar  Ben  to  the  mar- 
row of  his  pride,  for  he  chanced  to 
be  a  splendid  tiger-marked  feline 
of  purest  Persian  breed,  with  glori- 
ous yellow  eyes  and  a  Solomon-in- 
all  -  his  -  glory  tail.  His  pedigree 
could  be  traced  directly  back  to 
Padisha  Zim  Yuki  Yowsi  Zind— 
a  dignity,  in  itself,  sufficient  to 
cause  an  aristocratic  languor ;  but, 
to  the  layman,  he  was  just  a  cat. 

He    dwelt    with    an    exclusive 
family  of  humans  in  a  little  eighty- 

[  3  ] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

thousand- dollar  cottage  on  the  out- 
skirts of  vulgarity — which  is  to 
say,  the  villa  was  situated  near 
enough  to  town  to  admit  of  mar- 
keting, but  far  enough  removed 
therefrom  to  escape  the  clatter  of 
plebeian  toil  and  the  noxious  con- 
tact with  the  unhealthy,  unwealthy 
herd.  Here  the  humans  enter- 
tained selected  friends  who  came 
at  the  ends  of  weeks  to  admire  the 
splendor  of  Omar  Ben's  tail,  to 
bow  down  to  the  humans'  money, 
and  to  hate  them  fiercely  because 
they  had  it. 

The  master  did  not  toil.  He 
lived,  for  certain  hours  of  the  day, 
in  Wall  Street,  where  he  sank  his 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

patrician  fingers  into  the  throats 
of  lesser  men,  squeezed  them  dry, 
then  washed  his  hands  in  violet 
water,  and  built  a  church.  True, 
he  did  not  attend  this  church  him- 
self, but  he  built  it ;  otherwise  his 
neighbors  might  have  been  de- 
prived of  the  opportunity  of  prais- 
ing God. 

Omar  Ben  had  a  French  maid 
all  to  himself— a  perky  little  hu- 
man with  a  quasi-kinship  to  the 
feline  race — who  combed  him  and 
brushed  him  and  slicked  him  down 
and  gave  him  endless,  mortifying 
baths.  Also,  she  tied  lavender 
bows  about  his  neck,  and  fed  him 
from  Dresden  china  on  minute 

[5   ] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

particles  of  flaked  fish  and  raw 
sirloin,  with  a  dessert  of  pasteurized 
cream. 

In  the  rear  of  the  eighty-thou- 
sand-dollar cottage  there  was  a 
thirty-thousand-dollar  flower-gar- 
den— an  oppressively  clean  garden, 
where  the  big  Jack-roses  were  as 
immaculate  as  a  "mama's  Lizzie- 
boy,"  and  the  well-bred,  timid 
little  violets  seemed  to  long  to 
play  in  the  dirt,  yet  dared  not  be- 
cause of  the  master-rule  of ' '  form. 
And  here  the  clean  cat  used  to  sun 
himself  in  the  clean  garden,  think- 
ing his  clean  thoughts  and  perish- 
ing of  ennui  clean  through. 

Then,  one  day,  from  the  vulgar 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

outer  world  came  an  unclean  in- 
cident. 

Omar  Ben  became  conscious  of 
an  uproar  beyond  the  garden  wall. 
It  embraced  a  whimper  of  canine 
hope,  a  spitting  taunt,  and  the 
patter  of  flying  paws  ;  then,  sud- 
denly, on  the  top  of  the  high  brick 
wall  appeared  a  cat.  The  new- 
comer paused  an  instant  to  fling 
an  obscene  au  revoir  at  the  raging, 
disappointed  dog,  dropped  careless- 
ly down  into  a  geranium-bed,  and 
took  his  bearings. 

He  was  not  a  patrician.     Omar 
Ben  eyed  him  in  a  sort  of  wonder- 
ing   awe.      The    stranger   was   a 
long-barreled,  rumple-furred,  devil- 
[7] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

clawed  street  arab,  of  a  caste — or 
no-caste — that  battles  for  exist- 
ence with  the  world — and  beats  it. 
On  his  tail  were  rings  of  missing 
fur,  suggesting  former  attach- 
ments, not  of  lady  friends,  but  of 
tin  cans  and  strings.  For  further 
assets,  he  possessed  one  eye  and  a 
twisted  smile.  His  present  total 
liability  lay  in  the  dog  beyond  the 
wall,  so  the  arab  wasn't  so  badly 
fixed,  after  all.  Besides,  he  owned 
property.  It  consisted  of  a  bull- 
frog which  he  carried  in  his  mouth, 
with  its  legs  and  web  feet  pro- 
truding in  wriggly,  but  unavailing, 
protest. 
To  breathe  the  better,  the  street 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

cat  dropped  his  frog  and  set  one 
mangy  paw  upon  it;  then,  sudden- 
ly, he  spied  the  Persian. 

'  Hello,  bo  ! ' '  he  observed  cheer- 
fully. "  Didn't  see  yer.  Did  yer 
pipe  me  chase  wid  de  yelper  ?  Dat 
stilt-legged  son  of  a  saw-toothed 
tyke  has  had  his  nose  on  me 
rudder-post  fer  more'n  a  mile." 

The  Persian  made  no  answer, 
and  the  arab  continued,  unabashed: 
'It's  a  hunch  dat  I  could  V 
clawed  de  stuffin's  outer  him,  but 
I  didn't  want  fer  to  lose  me  lunch. 
Say  !  Wot's  yer  name  ? ' 

Omar  Ben  regarded  the  inter- 
loper with  the  same  glance  of  re- 
fined surprise  that  the  master 


might  have  employed  when  a 
fleeced  plebeian  entered  his  office, 
demanding  to  know  why  the 
market  had  slumped  in  direct  con- 
tradiction to  confidential  prophecy. 
He  elevated  his  patrician  brows, 
but  gave  the  desired  information 
politely  : 

'  My  ribbon-name  is  Omar  Ben 
Sufi,  first-born  of  the  second 
litter  of  Yiki  Zootra  and  Sultana 
Yaggi  Kiz.  Here  at  home,  how- 
ever, I  am  known  by  a  variety  of 
others,  such  as  Mon  Prince  de 
Maniere  Charmante,  Sugar-pie- 
precious,  and— 

*  'Aw,    cut    it ! '     snapped    the 
street    cat    disgustedly.        "Dem 

[10] 


ain't  no  decent  names  !  D'ey's 
positive  ridick'lous  !  Mines  Ring- 
tail Pete,  but  me  frien's  has  rea- 
sons fer  fergittin'  de  tail  part  of  it 
when  dey  names  me  to  me  face — 

9  »  > 

sees 

He  smiled  his  twisted  smile, 
raised  one  paw,  and  regarded  its 
claws  with  a  sort  of  humorous  pride. 

The  Persian  cat  said  nothing. 
Ringtail  Pete  was  obviously  an 
undesirable  acquaintance  ;  there- 
fore Omar  Ben  held  his  tongue, 
and  became  interested  in  the  bull- 
frog. Curiosity,  however,  con- 
quered refined  reserve. 

'  What  is  it  ? '     he  asked  pres- 
ently. 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

'Frawg,"  said  the  street  cat, 
with  laconic  candor,  as  he  grace- 
fully mauled  the  subject  of  discus- 
sion. 'I  gets  'em  over  to  the 
frawg-pawnd  up  back  of  Lum- 
kins's  tannery.  Have  a  piece  ? ' 
'  Thank  you,  no, ' '  returned  the 
Persian,  with  a  faint  smile  of  his 
own.  '*  I've  just  had  luncheon. " 
Pete  shrugged  his  gaunt  shoul- 
ders, murdered  the  frog,  and  pre- 
pared to  dispose  of  it  permanently. 
Omar  Ben  edged  closer.  In  spite 
of  his  polite  refusal,  the  frog  fasci- 
nated him.  Never  in  all  his  be- 
nighted life  had  he  tasted  one  mor- 
sel which  had  not  been  prepared 
for  him  on  dainty  china ;  but  now 

[12] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

it  was  different.  Across  the  gera- 
nium-bed came  a  strange,  allur- 
ing scent — a  scent  which  roused 
the  memory  of  inheritance — a 
memory  well-nigh  washed  out  of 
him,  and  his  sire  before  him, 
by  the  bottle-pap  of  luxury. 
A  memory  it  was  of  wild 
things,  to  be  killed  —  a  blood- 
lust  memory — and  now  at  last 
it  woke  in  a  pampered,  velvet- 
hearted  cat. 

Ringtail  Pete  was  conscious  of 
the  other's  wistful  look,  and 
laughed ;  for  his  battle  with  life 
had  taught  him  generosity. 

"Say,  bo,  yer  don't  want  to  do 
de  bashful — see? — 'cause  me  'n' 

[13] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

you  is  gents  what  understands 
de  game  er  chanst.  Here — take 
holt  an'  chaw  yerse'f  off  a 
hunk!" 

The  aristocrat  hesitated,  then 
slid  down  one  rung  on  the  ladder 
of  degradation — pushed  by  blood  - 
lust  and  by  the  strange  compelling 
camaraderie  of  an  arab  of  the 
streets.  It  was  wrong,  he  knew, 
but  then  there  was  a  certain  flavor 
in  this  wrong ;  so,  gingerly,  he 
crossed  the  geranium-bed,  took 
one  web  foot  firmly  between  his 
teeth,  and  wondered  at  the  thrill 
of  life  that  sparked  and  snapped 
along  his  spine.  Then  Pete  and 
Omar  Ben  tugged  and  tugged 
[U] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

till  the  clean  geranium-bed  was  a 
comfortable,  wholesome  wreck. 

'  Hully  gee  ! ' '  grinned  Ringtail 
Pete.  '  We  otter  make  a  wish  ! ' 
They  made  it,  and  the  meta- 
phoric  wish-bone  parted  with  a 
jerk,  Omar  Ben  rolling  upon  his 
lordly  back  in  the  healthy  dirt ; 
but  he  rose  and  devoured  his  frog- 
leg  to  its  smallest  bone,  wishing 
with  all  his  heart  that  the  frog  had 
been  a  bigger  frog.  Then  he  licked 
his  chops  and  looked  in  admiration 
on  his  worldly  friend. 

'  Thank  you,  so  much, ' '  he  be- 
gan, but  the  arab  waved  formality 
aside. 

"Aw,  't  wan't  nuttin',"  he  de- 

[15] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

clared,  "  an'  dey  tastes  a  darn  sight 
better  when  yer  wades  fer  'em. 
Say !  Look-a-here !  You  meet 
me  to-night  on  de  top  er  dis  here 
wall,  an*  I'll  learn  yer  how  to  wade 
fer  frawgs. 

Oh,  dear  1 ' '  began  the  Persian, 
trembling  at  the  very  mention  of 
the  outer  world.  'Really,  Mr. 
Pete,  I— really— " 

'  Punk  ! ' '  cut  in  the  arab,  dis- 
missing the  protest  with  a  switch 
of  his  mutilated  tail.  'I  won't 
take  *naw'  fer  a  answer ;  an'  dis 
here's  de  way  fer  to  jump  yer 
wealthy  crib.  You  watch  me  ! ' 
He  backed  away,  then  took  a 
running  start  and  made  the  coping 

[16] 


A  NIGHT   OUT 

of  the  wall  in  a  splendid,  scurrying 
rush,  amid  a  shower  of  scattered 
ivy-leaves.  On  the  top  he  turned 
and  called  to  the  wondering  aris- 
tocrat : 

'  Jes'  wait  fer  me  an'  de  moon, 
me  son,  an'  dontcher  fergit  dat 
frawgs  is  frawgs ! ' ' 

Once  more  he  smiled  his  twisted 
smile,  and  was  gone  into  the  vul- 
gar outer  world.  He  had  not 
waited  for  a  promise  from  his 
friend,  for  Pete  was  wise  in  his 
little  hour  of  life  and  left  the  keep- 
ing of  a  tryst  with  the  honor  of  a 
gentleman. 


[17] 


II 

As  for  Omar  Ben,  he  sat  in  the 
healthy  grime  of  the  garden  soil, 
his  mind  a  prey  to  the  poison  of 
glittering  promises,  till  suddenly  a 
human  fell  upon  him  with  an  ab- 
surd French  shriek  and  bore  him 
away  to  the  lap  of  comfort  and  a 
scented  bath. 

In  the  bath  he  yowled;  and 
wept  when  another  lavender  bow 
was  tied  about  his  neck ;  and  yet, 
had  Mile.  Frenchy  observed  him 
carefully,  she  might  have  caught 
him  smiling. 

All    day    long    he    dozed    and 

[18] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

dreamed — dreamed  of  the  vulgar 
world  beyond  the  wall — for  now  it 
seemed  to  his  pampered  soul  that 
the  pole  star  of  an  earthly  cat's 
desire  was  ' '  frawgs. 

At  the  humans'  dinner-time  he 
scorned  their  expensive  fare  and 
sneaked  away  into  the  shadows  of 
the  garden  to  wait  for  Ringtail 
Pete  and  the  rising  of  the  moon. 
It  rose ;  and,  as  it  peeped  above 
the  wall,  there  also  rose  a  cautious 
signal-wail,  and  Pete's  one  eye 
glowed  green  among  the  ivy-vines. 
'  Hi,  spote  1 ' '  grinned  the  owner 
of  the  eye,  as  Omar  Ben  clawed 
his  way  to  a  perch  beside  him. 
'  Yer  clumb  dat  wall  in  a  way  dat 

[19] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

make  me  proud.     Now,  den,  we're 
off!" 

They  dropped  into  the  outer 
world.  Omar  Ben  was  trembling 
somewhat,  but  tried  his  best  to 
conceal  the  mortifying  fact,  and 
presently  he  conquered  it.  After 
walking  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
along  a  country  road,  they  ap- 
proached the  outskirts  of  the  town 
and  began  to  cross  it,  employing 
unfrequented  paths.  They  trav- 
ersed an  alley,  black  and  reeking 
with  nightly  smells,  pausing  at  last 
on  the  verge  of  a  lighted  street 
whence  rose  the  sound  of  human 
mirth,  bits  of  vulgar  song,  and  the 
barking  of  vagrant  dogs. 

[20] 


A  NIGHT   OUT 

"S-h-h-h!"  cautioned  Ringtail. 
'You  wait  till  I  counts  to  t'ree, 
den  make  a  rush  fer  de  alley  acrost 
de  street — see  ? ' 

But,  why  ? ' '  asked  Omar  Ben, 
wondering. 

Pete  sniffed  in  scorn  of  the  un- 
initiated. 

'Well,  nemmine  why!  You  do 
like  I  tells  yer,  or  yer'll  git  yer 
eggercation  wid  a  brick.  Now 
den!  One — two — t'ree!  Hump 
it,  bo!'1 

They  humped  it,  making  the 
other  alley's  mouth  by  a  margin 
slim  indeed,  followed  by  human 
howls  and  a  clattering  volley  of 
sticks  and  stones. 

[21] 


"Good  gracious!"  the  Persian 
gasped,  as  they  streaked  through 
the  alley's  filth.  "What  are 
they?" 

"Boys,"  grinned  Pete.  "De 
town  is  gittin'  fair  congested  wid 
'em.  But  'tain't  nuttin',  son;  it's 
jes'  a  part  er  de  game  er  life. 
Come  on. 

The  way  was  easier  now,  and 
they  journeyed  without  alarm. 
Presently  Ringtail  turned  to  his 
friend  with  his  twisted  smile: 

*Yer  see  dat  lady  settin'  on  de 
gate-post?  Well,  dat's  me  steady. 
I'll  interjuce  yer  in  a  minute." 

The  lady  in  question  was  a 
thin,  dirty  white  cat  with  bold 

[22] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

eyes  and  a  brazen  bearing,  and 
Omar  Ben  was  doubtful  of  her 
caste. 

*  Thank  you,"  he  murmured 
non-committally,  and  hurried  on; 
but  the  meeting  was  unavoidable, 
for  the  lady  crossed  the  street  and 
stood  directly  in  his  path. 

"Hi,  Mame!"  said  Pete,  in 
cordial  greeting.  : '  Shake  hands 
wid  me  friend,  Mr. — er — aw  hell! 
Shake  hands  wid  bo ! ' ' 

Omar  Ben  had  never  seen  a  lady- 
cat,  and  his  ideal  of  the  sex  was 
something  modest  and  retiring. 
Miss  Mame  was  not  retiring.  She 
greeted  her  friend's  friend  without 
the  courtesy  of  a  * '  Mr. , ' '  looked  in 

[23] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

open  admiration  at  the  handsome 
gentleman,  and  asked  if  he  were 
single. 

The  aristocrat  murmured  a 
commonplace  and  edged  away. 
At  the  slight  the  lady  took 
umbrage,  spat  warningly,  and 
showed  her  claws,  till  Ringtail 
averted  trouble  by  a  generous 
display  of  tact. 

'  Now,  don't  git  phony, 
Mame!"  he  remarked  in  a  gentle 
whisper.  'De  gent's  all  right, 
but  he's  young,  dat's  all,  an'  I'm 
goin'  to  learn  him — see?  You 
chase  aroun'  fer  Lizzie,  an'  if  de 
goil  ain't  got  no  udder  date,  yer 
kin  meet  us  here  'bout  moondown, 

[24] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

an'  we'll  bring  yer  a  brace  er 
frawgs.  So  long,  Mame!  Re- 
member dat  I  loves  yer! ' 

With  a  partly  mollified  sniff,  the 
lady  retired  to  her  gate-post,  and 
the  two  adventurers  went  on. 
They  came  to  the  evil-smelling 
tannery,  and  to  the  frog-pond  just 
behind  it,  stretching  cold  and  still 
in  the  moonlight,  and  covered  with 
a  noxious,  slimy  scum.  It  was 
horribly  different  from  the  Per- 
sian's usual  baths,  but,  once  in  he 
forgot  its  chill  in  the  lust  of  the 
hunt. 

They  waded  and  swam  and 
scrambled  along  the  shore,  Ring- 
tail pointing  out  that  frogs  were 

[25] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

wont  to  crouch  close  down  by  the 
water's  edge  in  the  shadow  of  some 
bush  or  vine. 

'Dere's  one!'  he  whispered 
suddenly.  'Now,  sneak  up,  son, 
an'  grab  'im! ' 

Quivering  with  suppressed  ex- 
citement, Omar  Ben  sneaked,  but 
mistook  the  especial  frog  to  which 
his  friend  had  reference.  Instead, 
he  pounced  upon  a  big  yellow- 
throated  beast  weighing  a  pound 
and  a  half,  and  known  colloquially 
as  a  sockdolliger  "  or  a  "  joogger- 
room. ' '  There  followed  a  scuffling 
rush,  a  grunt,  a  startled  yowl,  and 
a  swirl  of  water;  then  Omar  Ben 
came  up  coughing,  minus  his  frog, 

[26] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

but  plus  an  overcoat  of  mud  and 
disappointment. 

"Great  snakes!"  yelled  Pete. 
'  Ain't  yer  got  no  gumption  't  all? 
Ef  I  had  knowed  yer  wanted  ter 
eat  a  cow,  I'd  'a'  took  you  up  to  de 
slaughter-house!  Go  fer  de  little 
ones,  bo.  Yer  don't  gain  nuttin' 
by  bein'  a  hawg.  Take  it  from 
me — it's  straight! ' 

*Bo"  went  for  the  little  ones. 
He  had  learned  his  lesson  of  ex- 
perience, and  profited  thereby. 
He  made  his  virgin  kill  and  de- 
voured it,  squatting  in  the  muddy 
pond,  while  around  him  rose  the 
voices  of  the  wild  things  of  the 
night;  and  never  had  morsel  tasted 

[27] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

sweeter  to  his  pampered  tongue. 
And  so  the  hunt  went  on,  a  never- 
to-be-forgotten  hunt,  when  craw- 
fish nipped  their  tails,  when  insects 
preyed  upon  their  eyes,  and  they 
dripped  with  the  sweat  of  joyful 
toil;  then,  presently,  the  friends 
stretched  out  upon  the  bank,  weary 
and  replete. 

"Say,  bo,"  said  Ringtail,  after 
a  restful  pause,  ' '  what  do  yer  say 

•  •       o  >  > 

to  a  nip  I 

'  A.  nip  ? ' '  asked  Omar  Ben  in 
astonishment.  '  What  kind  of  a 

•        0   '  ' 

nip  i 

'  W'y»  a  catnip,  yer  bloomin' 
bladderskite !  Wot  did  yer  t'ink  I 
meant — a  cornder  of  de  moon  ? 

[28] 


A    NIGHT    OUT 

I'm  talkin'  'bout  jes'  straight  cat- 
nip.    Are  you  on  ? ' 

'Yes,  certainly,"  returned  the 
Persian  gravely.       '  I  am  on ! ' 

On  the  homeward  way  they 
turned  into  a  lane  and  came  to 
a  clump  of  catnip.  True,  Omar 
Ben  had  tasted  the  herb  before, 
but  dry  and  in  five -cent  packages, 
which  was  different  from  the  pure 
article  direct  from  nature's  still 
and  exuding  its  sharp,  intoxicating 
breath.  Pete  and  Omar  fell  upon 
it  greedily,  rolled  upon  it,  wallowed 
among  the  scattered  leaves,  and 
chewed  and  chewed  till  their  senses 
swam  in  a  spirit -dance  of  ecstasy. 
Then,  after  a  nap,  the  two  reeled 

[29] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

homeward  down  the  road,  Pete 
smiling  his  twisted  smile,  and 
Omar  Ben  Sufi  wrapped  in  the 
comforting  belief  that  he  was  sing- 
ing tunefully. 

"Say,  R.  T.,"  the  Persian 
chuckled  happily,  'what  did 
you  say  was  the  name  of 
your  lady  friend's  other  lady 
friend  ? ' 

(  Lizzie, ' '  answered  Ringtail, 
astounded  at  the  tone  of  familiar- 
ity; 'an'  take  it  from  me  she's 
white ! ' 

'  In  color,  do  you  mean  ? ' 
'  Naw — in    disposition.      Out- 
side, she's  kind  of  striped,  but  in- 
side, de  lady's  white ;    an'   don't 

[30] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

yer  fergit  it,  bo,  she's  de  owner  of 
four  good  sets  of  claws. 

" Thank  you,"  said  Omar  Ben 
airily.  "I  shall  endeavor  to  re- 
member. Come  along,  R.  T. ! ' 

Pete  objected  somewhat  to  this 
pointed  abbreviation  of  his  name, 
but  forgave  his  friend  on  the 
grounds  that  he  was  drunk;  so  the 
two  went  on  and  sought  their 
rendezvous.  The  ladies  were  wait- 
ing, seated  expectantly  on  the 
gate-posts,  but  descended  at  Ring- 
tail's call,  and  the  "swell  gent" 
was  formally  introduced.  Miss 
Lizzie  seemed  to  like  him  im- 
mensely, and  the  two  progressed 
so  well  that  Ringtail  stretched  his 

[31] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

single  eye  to  its  utmost  capacity, 
cursing  softly  at  his  friend's  un- 
precedented cheek.  For  Omar 
Ben — thanks  to  his  nip  of  catnip 
—so  far  forgot  his  strained  reserve 
that  Miss  Lizzie  herself  said  after- 
ward to  a  friend,  in  confidence  : 

'  I  never  see  sech  a  forward 
gent  sence  me  'n'  you  was  a  couple 
er  half-way-drownded  kits! ' 

The  flirtation,  however,  was 
short-lived,  for  suddenly,  without 
an  instant's  warning,  Miss  Lizzie, 
Miss  Mame,  and  Pete  himself  went 
clawing  up  a  water-pipe  to  a  con- 
venient roof  above,  while  down  the 
street  came  floating  a  shrill,  defi- 
ant yowl. 

[32] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

* '  Chase  yerse '  f,  bo ! '  called 
Pete  in  a  voice  of  fear.  'It's  Ash- 
Can  Sam ! ' 

Now,  Ash -Can  Sam  had  a  repu- 
tation of  his  own,  as  every  cat  in 
the  neighborhood  could  testify 
with  sorrow  and  with  tears.  He 
weighed  eleven  pounds.  He  kept 
himself  in  training;  and,  where 
others  lived  for  love  or  wealth  or 
art,  Ash-Can  Sam  existed  for  a  fin- 
ish fight  alone.  At  the  present 
speaking  he  came  swaggering 
around  a  corner,  and  paused  in 
astonishment  at  the  sight  of  a 
stranger  sitting  in  the  middle  of 
the  street.  The  insolence  of  it! 
It  was  past  belief! 

[33] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

"Oh,  please,  Mr.  Bo!"  wailed 
Lizzie,  wringing  her  paws  as 
she  perched  upon  the  roof. 
1  Do  hurry  while  youse  has 
got  de  chanst!  He'll  rip  you 
somethin'  terrible!  For  my 
sake,  dearie,  won't  you 
slope  ? ' 

*  No,  not  upon  your  life ! ' '  called 
Omar  Ben  gravely.       '  I  will  not 
demean  myself  by  retreating  from 
any  cat  alive. 

This  statement  was  fat  with 
brave  audacity,  but  lean  in  the 
matter  of  discretion;  so  Pete  leaned 
down  with  one  last  friendly  whisper 
of  appeal: 

*  W'y»  you  chowder-headed  ass, 

[34] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

he'll  make  yer  look  like  a  moth-et 
flannel  shirt !    Beat  it ! ' 

The  patrician  declined  to  *  *  beat 
it,"  and  Ash-Can  Sam  edged  a 
little  closer,  wearing  a  dissolute, 
wicked  leer  of  joy.  He  circled 
slowly  round  the  stranger  cat,  ey- 
ing Omar  Ben's  glossy  coat  and 
humming  a  sort  of  vulgar  chant : 

Ain't  it  a  sham-m-m-m-e  ! 

To  chaw  up  mommer's  sugar-pet, 
An'  hurt  his  nose,  not  soon,  but  yet. 

Oh,  ain't  it  a  sham-m-m-m-e  ! 

Omar  Ben  regarded  the  bully  in 
calm  scorn.  '  You  disreputable 
beast,"  he  said,  "shut  up! ' 

Sam,  in  no  uncertain  terms, 
stated  his  unwillingness  to  shut 

[35] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

up,  and  the  conversation  became 
personal. 

'Yer  blink-eyed  yard  er  silk, 
I'm  a  goin'  to  turn  you  cat-out-the- 
skin  an'  sell  yer  tail  fer  a  fancy 
dustin' -brush! ' 

'  Bosh!  You'd  run  from  a  pet 
canary. ' ' 

" You're  a  liar!" 

"  You're  another!" 

"So'syerpaan'so'syermother!" 

"Pfst!    Zzz-i-ttt!    Y-eo-w!" 
And  the  battle  was  on. 

'  Oh,  dear!  "  mewed  Lizzie  tear- 
fully. "  An'  Mr.  Bo  was  sech  a 
easy-mannered  gent'man,  too! ' 

Sub- consciously,  she  was  already 
referring  to  the  foolish  Persian  in 

[36] 


A   OTGHT   OUT 

the  past  tense;  yet,  in  view  of 
probable  results,  and  in  the  stress 
of  such  violent  circumstance,  her 
anti-mortem  sorrow  might  at  least 
be  pardoned. 

Omar  Ben  had  never  had  a  fight, 
and  yet  the  memory  of  inheritance 
had  waked  within  him,  revealing 
other  traits  besides  his  yearning  for 
debauchery  and  ' '  frawgs  " ;  so  now 
he  squared  himself  and  uncurled 
his  velvet  toes. 

Ash-Can  Sam  crouched  low  and 
came  in  with  a  headlong  rush. 
Omar  Ben  side-stepped  and  raked 
him  with  a  stiffly  extended  paw. 
It  was  a  good  rake,  and  there  was 
fur  upon  his  claws — and  blood. 

[37] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

"Hully  gee!"  breathed  Pete 
into  Mame '  s  convenient  ear.  ' '  Did 
yer  pipe  de  way  bo  upper-cut  'im  ? 
Gee ! ' ' 

Ash -Can  Sam  was  wounded — 
not  so  much  in  body  as  in  pugilistic 
pride.  He  turned  to  wipe  away 
the  stain,  and,  incidentally,  to  wipe 
the  earth  with  the  body  of  a  for- 
eign cat.  This  time  he  came  in, 
swearing,  and  the  two  cats  reared 
upon  their  haunches  with  the  shock ; 
then  fell  in  a  tangled,  rending, 
yowling  snarl.  Omar  Ben,  by  in- 
stinctive craft,  sought  for  a  point 
of  vantage  underneath  his  foe — a 
vantage  because,  when  lying  on 
his  back,  he  could  claw  straight  up 

[38] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

with  all  four  feet,  and  the  greater 
the  weight  of  the  chap  on  top,  the 
greater  his  woe — abdominally. 

This  point  of  vantage,  however, 
is  rather  difficult  to  hold,  with  two 
most  earnest  gentlemen  desirous  of 
it;  and  so  they  changed  positions 
— changed  so  rapidly,  in  fact,  that 
their  bodies  resembled  a  sort  of  pyr- 
otechnic pinwheel  whose  centrif- 
ugal sparks  were  composed  of  eyes 
and  claws  and  tufts  of  fur  and  cat 
profanity.  Also,  it  lasted  longer 
than  the  ordinary  pinwheel,  and 
was  a  trifle  more  uproarious;  but  it 
died  at  last  with  a  sizzling  spit,  and 
a  lean  black  streak  shot  out  toward 
the  haven  of  an  alley's  mouth. 

[39] 


A   NIGHT   OUT 

The  streak  was  Ash -Can  Sam. 
Omar  Ben  Sufi  sat  down  in  the 
middle  of  the  street,  and  won- 
dered. He  had  thrashed  some- 
thing, and  he  didn't  understand  it. 
So  he  just  sat  there,  quivering, 
bleeding,  battered — but  a  con- 
queror. 

Ringtail  Pete  endeavored  to 
express  himself,  but  emotion 
choked  him;  therefore  he  spat  fer- 
vidly and  said : 

"Hullygee!" 

Then  he  and  the  ladies  descended 
from  the  roof,  to  walk  in  silent  cir- 
cles around  the  champion,  regard- 
ing him  with  a  species  of  catalep- 
tic awe.  Presently,  however,  Pete 

[40] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

came  to  earth,  extended  his  paw, 
and  delivered  himself  of  an  estab- 
lished truth: 

* '  Well,  dang  my  hide,  but  it 
takes  er  'ristercrat  fer  to  glitter  in 
a  scrap! ' 

They  escorted  him  all  the  way 
to  his  eighty-thousand-dollar  home. 
The   ladies  kissed    him — both    of 
them — and  helped  him  to  clamber 
weakly  over  his  garden  wall. 

He  turned  to  Ringtail  with  an 
easy,  aristocratic  smile:  "Au  re- 
voir,  R.  T. !  Those  frawgs  were 
most  delicious ! ' 

"Hully  gee!"  breathed  Pete, 
and  disappeared  through  the  dusk 
of  the  outer  world. 

[41] 


Ill 

Now,  in  the  eighty-thousand- 
dollar  cottage  black  sorrow  reigned 
throughout  the  night.  There  were 
tears  and  linguistic  prayers.  There 
were  tinklings  of  little  bells,  while 
humans  called  shrilly  to  vulgar 
officials  along  the  wires.  From  a 
mass  of  incoherence  the  officials 
learned  that  some  evil-hearted  ruf- 
fian had  entered  the  thirty-thou- 
sand-dollar garden  and  had  stolen 
a  priceless  cat. 

Thus    the    outer    world    went 
hunting.     So  great  was  its  zeal— 
so  great  was  the  offer  of  reward- 
that  it  captured  every  cat  in  town, 

[42]* 


A    NIGHT    OUT 

with  the  one  exception,  of  course, 
of  Omar  Ben  Sufi.  This  partic- 
ular hero  was  found  next  morn- 
ing, asleep,  in  the  geranium-bed  ; 
so  they  bore  him  in,  while  weep- 
ings burst  forth  afresh.  And  well 
they  might. 

Poor  Omar  Ben  was  a  sight  to 
awaken  pity,  even  in  the  stoniest 
of  hearts.  The  number  of  his 
hairs  could  be  counted,  almost,  by 
plus  and  minus  tufts ;  one  eye  was 
closed  ;  his  splendid  tail  was  bent 
in  several  angles  unrecognized  by 
the  rules  of  art,  and  he  smelled  of 
the  outer  world — horribly. 

His  mistress  expressed  her  grief  in 
a  noiseless,  refined  whimper  of  de- 

[43] 


A   NIGHT    OUT 

spair ;  the  French  maid  shrieked,  and 
called  on  Heaven  to  witness  the  dev- 
astation of  her  every  hope ;  but  the 
master — who  had  lived,  in  spite  of 
his  Wall  Street  training — laughed. 
'  Nonsense ! ' '  said  he.  '  You 
are  squandering  your  sympathies 
upon  a  shameless  prodigal.  The 
beast  has  had  the  time  of  his  life, 
by  George  ! ' 

'  Oh,  Charles,  how  can  you  ? ' 
wailed  the  mistress  of  the  priceless 
cat.       'Can't    you    see    how  the 
precious  child  is  suffering  ? ' 

Again     the    master    laughed- 
laughed  brutally. 

'  'Of  course  he's  suffering,  my  dear 
— but  look  at  the  smile  on  him  ! ' 
[441 


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